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Appendicitis in infancy

Y L Lin1, C H Lee

  • 1Division of Pediatric Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, No.135 Nanhsiau Street, Changhua, Taiwan, Republic of China. 73654@cch.org.tw

Pediatric Surgery International
|May 2, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Diagnosing acute appendicitis in infants is challenging due to non-specific symptoms. This study highlights high morbidity and a significant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection rate in infantile appendicitis cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Infant Health
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Acute appendicitis is common in children but rare in infants.
  • Infantile appendicitis presents with non-specific signs and symptoms, complicating early diagnosis.
  • Delayed diagnosis can lead to severe complications and increased morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review cases of acute appendicitis in infants treated over a 10-year period.
  • To analyze clinical presentation, diagnostic delays, and outcomes.
  • To investigate the prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 7 infant cases (17 days to 8 months) diagnosed with acute appendicitis.
  • Analysis of preoperative symptoms, signs, duration to surgery, pathology reports, and laboratory data.
  • Microbiological cultures from blood, ascites, bile, or stool were examined.

Main Results:

  • No specific clinical indicators were identified for early diagnosis.
  • The average time from admission to operation was 31.4 hours.
  • Pathology revealed 3 gangrenous, 3 gangrenous with perforation, and 1 suppurative appendicitis.
  • One infant death occurred.
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified in 6 out of 7 cases (85.7%).

Conclusions:

  • Early diagnosis of acute appendicitis in infants remains difficult.
  • Morbidity rates for infantile appendicitis are high, despite declining mortality.
  • The high incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa warrants further investigation in infantile appendicitis.

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